


All That Remains

by ScarlettFAngell



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blow Jobs, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Half-Vampires, Light Restraints, M/M, Magic, Multi, OT3, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Porn With Plot, Post-Season/Series 02, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pregnancy, Survivor Guilt, Threesome - F/M/M, Touch-Starved, Vaginal Sex, Vampires, one-sided Hector/Alucard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2019-10-28 01:25:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17777936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarlettFAngell/pseuds/ScarlettFAngell
Summary: After Alucard, the Speaker and the Belmont defeat his father, Alucard retreats into the castle, left alone to mourn the loss of his parents. For a time, he sleeps, until a little girl comes knocking on the castle door, waking him. Unsure what to do, Alucard answers and discovers that the nearest village is plagued by the remnants of his father's demon hordes at night and disease and illness by day. With the return of his friends, he sets off to tend to the village and discovers that the demon hordes bear Hector's dark magic but Carmilla's distinct brand of cruelty. The news disturbs them all, and Alucard make a decision; stay and repair the castle, and attend the village's sick and dying...or set out to find Carmilla and stop her madness from spreading. And maybe rescue Hector in the process.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! New fic, new fandom. It has swallowed me whole! Of course, I haven't abandoned my other works. This is just something that's been knocking around in my head for a bit now, so enjoy!

**Chapter One**

**_Alucard watched his friends leave,_** watched until the wagon was well beyond his sight, until the sun was setting and he was well and truly alone. Only then did he retreat to the castle, upstairs to his father's study. Alucard righted the chair and sat in it, trying to not to pay too close attention to the state of the castle or the hallucinations of his father and mother, and of himself. He sat there and wept, wept until there were no more tears and he sobbed brokenly, heaving dryly into the stale air. Eventually, his body demand sleep, so he slept. Alucard dreamt of killing his father, of the sight of him decaying before his very eyes, of Belmont beheading him and Sypha burning his father's body to ashes.

He slept so deeply he almost missed the pounding on his door. Alucard groaned, shifting in place. His back ached but his head ached more, and overpowering both of them was the hunger, the way his stomach twisted itself into knots of pain. Alucard blinked slowly, taking stock of his surroundings. He was in his father's study and he had killed his father.

Tears pricked his eyes and he nearly starting sobbing again--and he probably would have, if it weren't for the incessant knocking on the castle's main doors. Alucard got to his feet slowly, rubbing a hand over his face in an attempt to wake himself up. It was cold, but he barely paid any attention to that.

Vaguely, he was aware of two heartbeats nearby and couldn't help wondering if the Speaker and the Belmont had returned. Alucard sighed and went to answer the door, not bothering with putting anything warmer on. Who cared how he looked or dressed? If someone was here to steal his father's knowledge--or the Belmont's, for that matter--then he would deal with them. So he slowly made his way downstairs.

The pounding got louder as he neared the door before abruptly stopping. Alucard hesitated, head tilted to one side as he listened to the two heartbeats outside the castle. They were both faster than his companions had been; too fast, sounding far too young, like a rabbit's would when it was terrified. Alucard frowned. If this weren't Trevor or Syhpa, then who was it?

He strode forward and opened the door, blinking in surprise at the little girl he found on his doorstep. She carried something in her arms, bundled up against the cold much like she was. He was quite stunned to find flakes of snow drifting down behind her and settling in her hair, on her eyelashes. Alucard gripping the door handle tightly, staring at her in confusion.

"Can I help you?" he asked, dropping down to one knee with a small smile. "Are you lost?"

The girl shook her head. "I'm not lost," she said, sounding worried. She glanced down at the bundle in her arms, which Alucard realised was another child--whose heartbeat was uneven and laboured. "It's my little brother! He coughs badly and he's burning up! And I can't wake Mother up! She burns, too!"

Alucard sighed and rose swiftly, moving so he wasn't blocking the doorway. "Come in out f the cold and I'll see what I can do," he said, gesturing for her to enter. The little girl darted inside and swiftly out of his reach, Alucard frowned. "Why did you come here and not to the nearest church or wise woman?"

"The Church won't help," the little girl muttered, shaking her head. "They just tell us to pray and say they'll pray for us. They don't even try to take a closer look!" She slashed a hand through the air sharply. "And they burned the wise woman last winter. We don't have anyone to tend to the sick."

He was not surprised by that revelation. The Church, he knew, was corrupt and rotten right down to the very core. "I see," Alucard said, closing the door swiftly to keep the flurries of snow out. He'd almost forgotten about that. "Let's head to the kitchens and you can tell me more about your brother and mother's illness while I get you some food, shall we?"

The little girl nodded. "That sounds good," she said and skipped over to take his hand. "My name is Rosa, and this is Tomas."

"My name is.... Alucard," he replied, decided to divulge since they were sharing names. "And this is my....castle. What village are you from?"

"The one only a few miles away," Rosa told him, holding her little brother close. Alucard led her towards the door off to the left of the main entrance-way gently. "I think I saw you and the big scary man and the Speaker pass through last summer?"

"You probably did." Alucard led her down a hall to the kitchens, frowning still. He glanced down at her. "How long ago was that?"

Rosa bit her lip. "Hmm, a few months? Mother would probably be able to tell you."

"I see," he muttered and fell silent, leading her over to the table and settling her into a seat. "Let me take a look at your brother." Rosa hesitated. "Please? I promise, I'm not going to hurt him."

For a moment, it didn't seem like she was going to let him go, but then she sighed and handed over her brother. Alucard took him gently, and peered down into the boy's chubby face. Right as the boy coughed; a great big whooping sound followed. Alucard sighed. He'd heard of this illness before. His mother had treated it.

"How long has he had this cough and is there anyone else in the village with the same type of cough?"

"A few weeks," Rosa said, legs swinging as Alucard sat beside her. "And lots of people. It's been hoping through the village like a fire might."

Alucard closed his eyes. That wasn't good. It was likely the entire village was ill and would need tending to. "I see," he muttered, opening his eyes. He gave Tomas back to his sister. "I think I can help. Stay here, I'll be right back."

He stood abruptly and left the room, heading for his mother's lab. He found his father's copy of the medicine book easily and flipped through it, frowning. The illness was easy enough to find; something his mother and father had labelled 'whooping cough', whatever that meant. He sighed and scanned the handful of pages describing the illness and how to treat it. Easy enough, then. The power made from mold would help. He put the book down and went in search of it.

When Alucard returned to the kitchen, he found the boy sleepy but awake. Rosa was talking to him quietly, obviously trying to reassure him. He made sure his footsteps were noticed as he entered the room and headed for the fireplace. "I found something that will help," he said, ignoring the boy's little squeak of surprised. "But first, I'll make you two something to eat."

As he set about making them something to eat, he asked questions in an attempt to piece together why Rosa had come to his castle. Apparently someone had seen Alucard and his companions at the castle back when they'd taken a few days to recover from the battle with his father, and they'd decided to spread rumours about a pretty golden specter haunting Dracula's Castle. The very comparison amused him. Of course, then Belmont and Sypha had left, leaving him alone--and that was not a good path for his mind to take, so he redirected to the problem at hand--and no one had seen any movement in the castle for months.

Which meant they'd decided to...explore the area. And how had he not noticed so many humans nearby? Alucard must have been very deeply asleep for that to have happened. Deeply asleep and deep in his mourning and grief. Regardless, they'd heard of Lisa Tepes, and who hadn't by now? The condemned wife of Dracula, whose castle moved of its own accord. Which led to Rosa coming to the castle instead of the church when it seemed like the entire village seemed like it might die.

Alucard listened to Rosa's answers silently, offering only the occasional passing comments, and once he'd finished their food and the pair had eaten, he decided to lead them to the bedroom that Trevor and Sypha had been sharing prior to leaving. It was probably the only room suitable enough to settle a couple of children into. Rosa had grown a little sleepy by the time they reached the room, and Tomas was asleep on his shoulder. Alucard smiled slightly and settled the pair into the bed, trying not to take notice of the lingering scent of Trevor and Sypha, or the lingering scent of their blood. It called to him in an entirely inappropriate way.

With the children settled, Alucard took up a watchful position in a nearby chair. He waited until he was sure they were asleep before he stood, went to find his coat and sword, and then made his way downstairs, now appropriately dressed for the winter weather. Rosa had said it was early winter. He'd been asleep for three months, at the least. Alucard sighed, pausing at the door that led from the kitchen hallway to the main entrance-way. He really shouldn't leave the children alone in the castle, but he didn't have much of a choice. He needed to check on Rosa's mother. If she was as ill as Rosa had described, she might not make it through the night.

Sighing, Alucard pushed through the door, and stopped short at the sight of Trevor battled to close the door with Sypha nearby, brushing snow out of her hair and face. He stared, watching as the howling wind blew a flurry of snow inside before Trevor finally closed the door with a mighty bang. Alucard tensed, unsure of how to react. He hadn't been sure they'd come back, and yet here they were. He found that he couldn't move.

Sypha was the one to notice him first. "Alucard!" she cried and bolted across the room. Alucard froze as she flung her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his shoulder. He caught Trevor's gaze over her head and tried to keep his own expression as blank as the Belmont's appeared to be. After a moment, he leaned down to press his face into her hair, inhaling deeply but as subtly as possible. She smelled like snow and fire.  "We were worried! So I made us come to check on you." Sypha pulled back, and Alucard reluctantly let her go, frowning down at them. "Are you alright? You look pale, like you have seen a ghost!"

Alucard let her touch him, let her tilt his face up. "I am fine, Sypha," he said, glancing down at her and then up at Trevor, who had moved closer. "What about you? Are you and T--Belmont doing well?"

"We are!" Sypha said and pulled away to grab Belmont's hand. She tugged him closer and pushed him towards Alucard. "Trevor has some news for you, but it can wait. I'm starving!"

He was just about to open his mouth when the sound of little feet made him turn back. He found Rosa standing in the doorway behind him. She looked sleepy and confused, swaying slightly as she rubbed at her eyes. Trevor muttered a curse under his breath, but Alucard chose to ignore it, focusing on the girl instead.

"Alucard?" Rosa asked, blinking up at him. "What's going on? Who're these people?"

Alucard sighed and turned to kneel before her. "These are my friends," he told her, taking her by the hands. "They've come to visit me." He glanced up at Sypha. "This is Sypha. She's a Speaker. And this..." He turned to look at Trevor. "...is Trevor. He's a..."

"Belmont," Trevor supplied, and Alucard winced, shooting the man a glare. Trevor shrugged. "What? She was gonna figure it out anyway."

He decided to ignore that comment and turned back to the girl. "I need to go check on your mother," he said, turning to gesture to Sypha. She was definitely better equipped to deal with children than Belmont ever would be. "Sypha, can you watch over Rosa and her brother while Trevor and I go to the nearest village and check on it?"

Sypha offered him a brilliant smile. "Of course," she said, letting him tug her closer to Rosa. Alucard stood slowly, feeling slightly lightheaded and deciding to ignore it. When was the last time he'd eaten? Fed? He didn't remember, and it didn't matter. He had some villagers to attend to. "Shall we go back to bed, little one?"

Alucard waited until Sypha had led her back down the hallway and out of sight before turning to Trevor. The Belmont was scowling at him, a tiny crease between his eyebrows. They watched each other for a long moment before Trevor crossed his arms over his chest and outright glared at him.

"What?" Belmont demanded, sounding a little sullen. "What are you staring at?"

Alucard was tempted to tell him how beautiful he looked with snow dotting his dark hair, but he refrained. He swallowed instead and waited, watching Trevor every move. Distantly, he remembered the way their combined scent had made him ache all over back in the bedroom when he was putting Rosa and Tomas to bed. The way it made the hunger grinding his stomach down into dust flare up bright red across his vision. Alucard opened his mouth and immediately shut it to keep in the little whimper that threatened to escape. Trevor's eyebrow twitched.

"What's with the kid?" he asked, raising that eyebrow at him. Alucard scanned his face, looking for any sign of softness, but Trevor was like a blank canvas with confusing lines drawn across it. He couldn't make sense of the man's emotions. "Alucard?"

He moved to lean against the wall abruptly, rubbing at his temple. "She came to me because no one else would help," he said, rubbing harder and closing his eyes. "I've apparently been watched these last few months."

Suddenly, there was a tight grip on his chin, tipping his head backwards. Alucard opened his eyes to meet Trevor's steely blue ones. He found himself caught by the gaze, unable to look away. Trevor's eyes narrowed. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked and all Alucard could do was stare at him, lips parted slightly at the way Trevor's fingers buzzed against his skin. "Or fed, for that matter?"

Alucard swallowed again. "I... I don't remember," he confessed, frowning in confusion. "I've been asleep--"

"You've been sleeping?" Trevor asked, sounding a little worried now. "The entire time we've been away?"

"Yes."

Trevor planted a hand on his shoulder, pinning him to the wall. Alucard tensed, a tiny shiver threading its way down his spine. He should not have liked being pinned to a wall by Belmont as much as he did. It was....interesting. He decided to file that train of thought away for another time. Trevor's grip on his chin tightened.

"It's been over three months, Alucard. Why the hell haven't you done anything with the castle?"

Alucard shrugged. He couldn't explain it, couldn't try to justify the lack of, well, anything. Trevor would most likely be right in any assumptions he made. As if to prove a point, the man swore and eased up his grip on his chin.

"There are children here, Alucard," he lectured, glaring at the dhampir. "Did you not even try to think of their safety once you let them in? You had to have known the state you were in when they arrived!"

"I... know, Trevor," he muttered, closing his eyes again. The feel of Trevor holding his against the wall, pressing in closer, the scent of him, the blood and the snow and the lingering aroma of alcohol had Alucard frozen in place. It was so different to the scent of Sypha's ice and fire and clean pine that he found he couldn't resist basking in it for several moment. "I am... sorry."

"You need to feed, Alucard," Trever insisted and that had his eyes flying open. Belmont was standing there, staring him down as if there was no other answer. "And to eat, but I'm willing to bet the blood thing is more important right now."

"Bel---Trevor, no, I could hurt you--"

"And I have a vampire-killing whip on me, Alucard. I think I can handle you."

Alucard whimpered, digging his elongated nails into the stone behind him. "You don't know what you're asking of me, Trevor," he whispered, holding himself back from just ravishing the man. "And besides, I need to check on the village first--"

"No," Trevor told him sternly. "You need to feed. And if it's not me or Sypha, and it's definitely not the children, then it has to be whatever you usually feed on." His hand slipped off Alucard's chin and up to cup his cheek. It was an unusually comforting gesture. Belmont's hand was warm, and he could smell him even better now. He felt his vampire side sit up and take notice. "Please, Alucard. Just listen to me for once."

Alucard exhaled carefully, nodded and then abruptly moved out from beneath Belmont's hands. He could have broken it at any time, but the way it made him feel... Well, he'd liked it, and he hadn't truly wanted it to end. "I shall return soon. Meet me outside the doors."

Trevor nodded, and Alucard made his leave, glancing back a few times to make sure that Trevor was still there. As he passed through the doors, he caught Belmont's sly smile. It promised him something, and he wasn't quite sure what, but he wanted it. He _ached_ for whatever the human was promising him. Alucard tucked those thoughts and feelings away to look at later, and ducked outside. The snow was coming down in droves. Perhaps he should wait until it cleared before heading to the village, but no. Rosa's mother sounded very ill and he wasn't sure if waiting would be a good idea. He'd definitely need Belmont. Just in case there were demons around.


	2. Two

**Chapter Two**  
  
**_While Alucard went hunting, Trevor went_ **to find Sypha and the children. He found them in the room they had shared in the days after Dracula's defeat. She was smiling softly, seated on the bed beside Rosa and leaning towards the little boy who'd been propped up on the pillows. Trevor leaned against the door frame and watched, smiling a little himself as he gaze drifted back to Sypha, and to the way she moved, subtly pulling her Speaker robes tightly around her. He sighed and pushed off the door frame, taking a couple steps into the room.  
  
"Sypha."  
  
She jerked her head towards him, startled, and he wiped the slight smile off his face. The boy in the bed whimpered, clearly afraid, but Trevor chose to ignore him, his gaze purely for Sypha. She frowned at him.  
  
"Something wrong, Trevor?"  
  
He shook his head. "No," he said, keeping his voice even and giving her a meaningful look. "Alucard went hunting. We leave as soon as he returns." Trevor turned towards the children, gaze narrowing. He wasn't trying to intimidate them, truly he wasn't, but sometimes he couldn't help old habits. "Which house is yours?"  
  
Rosa let out a little yelp and dove for the protective shelter of Sypha's arms. Trevor sighed, crossing his arms his chest. He fell silent as Sypha glared at him, arms curled over the girl's head protectively.  
  
"Trevor!" she hissed and he gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Ugh, honestly."  
  
"I'm serious, Sypha," he said, tone slipping into resignation. "Alucard will need to know, so he can tend to the girl's mother."  
  
"It's the first house," Rosa muttered from beneath Sypha's arm. She was peeking out at him when he looked, mostly concealed by the sleeve of the Speaker's blue robes. "Can't miss it, sir. Mother didn't want to live too close to the Church, and that's near the middle."  
  
Trevor inclined his head. "Thank you, little one."  
  
That brought a blush to the girl's cheeks and she ducked back into Sypha's embrace. Trevor blew out a sharp breath and uncrossed his arms. He turned to go and then hesitated, glancing back. Sypha was watching him, a tiny frown creasing her forehead.  
  
"Sypha," he said, watching the way her sharp blue eyes swung towards him. He nodded to the children. "Keep them safe."  
  
"Do not worry, Trevor," she told him, her tone sincere. "I shall. You two be careful."  
  
He stalked out of the room without another word, heading back downstairs to the entrance-way. Alucard was waiting for him by the doors, looking for all the world like he hadn't just been hunting down some poor creature to drain it dry. Trevor's gaze narrowed but he stalked right up the vampire--or rather, half-vampire--and kicked Alucard's leg out from beneath him, making the man stumble. Well, almost. Alucard's stupid reflexes kicked in and he righted himself with a small glare in Trevor's direction.  
  
"If you're feeling better," Trevor grumbled, sparing Alucard a glance, "then let's go."  
  
"Eloquent, as always," Alucard drawled, straightening up. They stared at each other for a moment, gazes narrowed before Trevor swept down into a bow, gesturing for the dhampir to go first. Alucard inclined his head. "Thank you, Belmont."  
  
"Oh? So it's back to last names again, is it, Tepes?"  
  
"Fuck you." Alucard gave him the finger as he stalked through the open front door of the castle.  
  
"Only if you begged me, princess."  
  
That just made the dhampir groan and drag a hand over his face. "Really, Trevor?" he asked, glancing back. Trevor held those pretty gold eyes for a moment and grinned. "Back to the princess thing?"  
  
"You like it."  
  
Alucard heaved a sigh and darted down the stairs elegantly. Trevor followed him down at a slower pace, watching the way Alucard moved, the way he brushed his hair out of his face and tucked it behind one elegantly pointed ear. Trevor sighed again, catching a glimpse of golden eyes as Alucard glanced back at him. After that, he followed Alucard blindly, his attention wandering, drifting to how he would've liked to kiss the dhampir, back when he'd had Alucard pinned to the wall. The fact that Alucard had let him, that they both knew the dhampir could've broken free at any moment, sent a thrill through him. Alucard had let him hold him in place, had let him touch that pretty face.  
  
He was startled out of his thoughts when something collided with his chest. Trevor glanced down to find that his whip--the whip he kept on his belt--had been thrown at him. He looked up to find Alucard scowling at him, looking like he was at least somewhat back to his usual, snarky self. Trevor frowned at him.  
  
"Do you...just steal my whip from me?" he asked, tilting his head to one side as he caught it before it hit the ground and returned the damned thing to its proper place. He didn't miss the way Alucard's eyes darted to his neck, the way the dhampir's lips parted and his nostrils flared. "And then throw it right back at my face?"  
  
"Your chest," Alucard corrected, shaking his head sharply. Trevor noticed there was a little tremor in the dhampir's hands where they hovered by his sides. "And yes, I did."  
  
"You bastard," Trevor said, chuckling a little. He sobered up quickly, clearing his throat. "Why'd you do that?"  
  
Alucard gestured behind them, towards a little rickety house. In the distance, he could see little glimmers of light and the faint trails of smoke drifting into the air. "We've arrived."  
  
Trevor grimaced. "I can see that."  
  
The dhampir snorted. "Then pay attention and stop day dreaming about my ass."  
  
That startled a laugh of him. "I was actually day dreaming about your fangs," he said, and was delightfully surprised to see the way Alucard stopped short, something almost like a blush rising to his cheeks. "What? Like you don't day dream about my cock."  
  
Alucard coughed, turning away--and Trevor could almost swear he caught what the dhampir said as he stalked towards the house. Something about saying he did day dream about Trevor's cock? Trevor smirked, strolling after him at a slower pace. It afforded him a very good view of the way Alucard's pants hugged his ass. Or, at least, the glimpses he got from beneath that stupidly fancy coat that Alucard always wore. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he'd been looking when Alucard glanced back to make sure Trevor was still following him.  
  
And that earned him a muttered line about being a pervert. Trevor grinned widely, only dropping it when he came to a stop beside Alucard, who'd paused outside the hut's door. They could both hear the infrequent coughing coming from inside, and it was Alucard who knocked gently on the door and called out.  
  
"Hello? Anyone in there? I'm a doctor; I can help."  
  
There was a weak 'come in' from inside and Alucard exchanged a glance with him. Trevor shrugged, gesturing to the door. Alucard reached for the door handle, eyes darting down to where Trevor's hands rested on his weapons--one on the whip, the other on the sword. He nodded to the man, gently detaching the coiled whip from his belt.  
  
"Open it," Trevor whispered, shifting until he stood on the other side of the door. Alucard stared at him for a moment, then exhaled through his nose and turned the handle. He gave the door a push and hesitated, waiting. Nothing happened.  
  
Alucard exchanged another look with him before he stepped through the gap, slipping into the house silently. "Hello?"  
  
"Here," came a weak voice and Trevor quickly followed.  
  
They found a woman sitting up in the only bed, blankets pulled tight around her as she struggled to stay warm. There was a fire burning in a make-shift fireplace on the other side of the room. It barely kept the little shack warm. Trevor slowly lowered the whip, eyes darting every which way as he nudged the door closed with his foot. Alucard was already half-way across the room. Trevor watched as the dhampir reached the bed and settled onto it by the woman's feet.  
  
"Are you Rosa's mother?" Alucard asked, gently laying a hand over hers where it rested on her knee. The woman nodded. "I live a little ways away, near the old Belmont estate." Trevor flinched at that, at Alucard mentioning it so easily, but the woman didn't seem bothered. "Rosa came to me, seeking help. So I came to see what I can do."  
  
"You have good timing," the woman muttered, voice hoarse. "I can hear the horde roaming the area some nights...but it's this damned coughing that's got the entire village beaten down."  
  
Trevor shifted closer to the fireplace so he could see Alucard face. The bastard was smiling. Granted it was small, but still. He was smiling. Trevor snorted, shifting to lean against the wall beside the fire. That small sound attracted the woman's attention and she gasped, nearly pulling away from the dhampir. But Alucard's grip on her hand tightened.  
  
"Don't worry about him," he said, aiming for a soothing tone. Trevor could still hear a tremor in it, though, but it didn't seem to matter. The woman clearly hadn't noticed it. "That's just my...companion... He's not going to harm you."  
  
The woman's eyes went wide in the low light. "But he's a Belmont," she whispered, ducking her head so that their gazes wouldn't meet. Trevor sighed, yet again. "Doesn't he--? Isn't he--?"  
  
Alucard chuckled. "Yes, he's a Belmont," he told her, tucking his bent fingers beneath her chin and tilting it up. "The best. He protects me from the horde." Alucard's other hand slipped off the woman's and went to his sword, touching it gently. "Not that I can't protect myself, but still. It's nice to have another pair of eyes watching your back."  
  
Trevor snorted again, arms crossed over his chest as he looked away. He was tempted to say something lewd, but decided against it. No need to scar the poor woman. "Rosa's safe, as is the boy. They're with our...mutual friend."  
  
The woman opened her mouth to speak but Alucard shook his head. She snapped it shut, frowning. The dhampir took that moment to withdraw his hands and twisted to dig something out of the inner coat of his pocket. "If you have the small illness as your son, then I can help." He held out a little bottle full of red-brown liquid. Trevor had seen it before, once. "This is a medicine, a powder. I've mixed it with some wine." He took her hand and wrapped it around the bottle, making sure she had hold of it before he let go. "Two sips, my dear, three times a day. Until it's empty. It should help."  
  
"Thank you," the woman whispered, curling he hand into her chest. She dropped her gaze to her knees, eyes now closed. "This is more than the damned priest has done. All he does is turn people away and tells them he'll pray for them. We don't need prayers, doctor. We need healing."  
  
Trevor watched the entire exchange from the corners of his eyes. Alucard closed his eyes briefly, something like pain flashing across his face. It wasn't a look that Trevor wanted to see on such a beautiful face. Alucard took a moment to compose himself, his expression clearing. He opened his eyes to fix them on a point beyond the woman's shoulder.  
  
"Healing is what I do," he said and stood up. He'd barely taken a step away before the woman caught his sleeve. Alucard turned back towards her even as Trevor pushed off the wall. "Yes?"  
  
"Speak to the Church," the woman said, looking up at first Alucard, then at Trevor with pleading eyes. "They have the surgeon, our town doctor, in a cell out back of it. Please convince the Priest to release him. He... Mircea will do more good outside that cell than in it, despite their blind faith."  
  
Alucard glanced towards him and Trevor tensed. There was an unreadable look on the dhampir's face. Trevor met it with a scowl. The woman sucked in a sob and turned her head away as they continued to stare at each other. He slid his narrowed gaze towards her, suspicious.  
  
"Why do you care about this man so much?" Trevor asked, casually leaning back against the wall. "Why not just let the Church do what they will and be done with it?"  
  
The woman let out another sob, curling in on herself more. "Because he's Tomas's father."


	3. Three

**Chapter Three**  
  
**_Trevor stormed out of the house,_** ignoring the snow that fell down heavily and settled on his shoulders, in his hair. He brushed at it, ruffling his hair with one hand while the other stayed put on his sword hilt. He was furious with them both, Alucard for not seeing it and the woman--Valeria, as she'd called herself--for not telling them earlier. For Rosa for not saying anything, if she even knew in the first place.  
  
Mircea was dhampir. Like Alucard. But he obviously had less vampire blood than Alucard did, a strange juxtaposition to Alucard, who had maybe too much. Trevor strode towards a nearby tree--a scraggly, pitiful thing that was barely holding on--and slammed his fist into it.  
  
"Trevor."  
  
"Shut up," he hissed, pulling his fist back only to slam it back into the tree. He did again and again, and then again--right up until Alucard grabbed his wrist and tugged him around to face him. "Just... don't, Alucard."  
  
"Trevor," the dhampir said, his tone softening. "Trevor--"  
  
"Oh, so now I'm Trevor again?" he spat, grabbing a fistful of the dhampir's shirt and hauling him in close. Alucard didn't resist the manhandling, his face an impassive mask, if a little sad. "What the fuck do you want, leech?"  
  
Alucard's gaze dropped to where his hands were resting on Trevor's chest, fingers curled into fists. He was startlingly honest when he spoke, tone soft and threaded with confusion. "I have never met another dhampir before. This...this is....not a chance I am willing to part with."  
  
Trevor sighed and shoved him away, releasing his shirt. Alucard stumbled for a step before he righted himself, still not looking at Alucard. Even Trevor's own swinging moods were throwing him off, and he didn't know how to deal with them. So he lashed out. He probably shouldn't have, but it was better than turning to alcohol and getting blind drunk. Again.  
  
"I'm sorry, Alucard," he muttered, glancing down to find his knuckles bloodied. He'd hardly felt it. "I don't quite know what's wrong with me." He brushed the fingers of his other hand over his injured knuckles, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and then opened his eyes, raising his gaze to find Alucard staring at him. "I'm sorry. I let my anger get the best of me."  
  
Alucard let out a soft huff of laughter. "Sypha is a good influence on you."  
  
"She is," Trevor agreed, tone soft. He offered Alucard a tiny smile, then cleared his throat and changed the subject. They could discuss Trevor's stupid mood swings later. "Shall we tend to the rest of the village?"  
  
"Yes," the dhampir said and turned away, still smiling that soft smile. "Come, this way."  
  
Trevor followed Alucard as he tended to the villagers, quiet and reflectful. He followed Alucard around for hours as the dhampir went from house to house, checking on each and every sick person they could find. Sometimes, though, they were too late and it was Trevor's job to dig the graves. Overall, most of the village would be fine. The rest, though, were not so lucky.  
  
He stared at the dozen or so graves, hastily made cross adorning each mound of earth, with a small frown. So many dead, just because the church decided that medicine was the work of the devil. Trevor exhaled heavily, glancing towards where Alucard knelt, one hand resting on the shoulder of a very young-looking child. It was hard for Trevor to distinguish their gender, but he could tell they were crying. He brushed his hands off on his pants and turned away, catching the eye of the village's Priest. The man was glowering at him, and then his gaze would flicker to Alucard and narrow dangerously.  
  
Oh, hell no. The Church was not going to get their grubby, sinful hands on Trevor's dhampir. Not today. He stalked towards the Priest, a nasty smile on his lips. The man's gaze snapped back to him and he took a sudden step back. Trevor stopped short, well out of the man's grabbing range.  
  
"Evening," he said, tilting his head to one side. The Priest stared at him, expression now carefully blank. "Come to offer last rights to the dead, have you?" Trevor gestured to the dozen graves behind him. "Bit late now, isn't it?"  
  
The Priest's stance firmed and he straightened up a bit, crossing his arms. "No," the man said, gaze flicking towards Alucard again. "I've come to talk to your...companion."  
  
"My _employer_ , you mean," Trevor corrected with a grin. He wasn't above intimidating a priest or two if he had to. And besides, Alucard had been telling everyone that he was his companion, implying he was Alucard's bodyguard. He smirked. "And Doctor Tepes is a little busy at the moment."  
  
At the mention of Alucard's last name, the Priest went very pale. He could see the man swallow a couple of times before he cleared his throat. "I see. Well, when he's done, I'd like to speak to him."  
  
Trevor's smirk grew. "I'll let him know."  
  
With that, he turned to walk away and caught the glimpse of something silver sticking out of the man's robes. He paused, carefully taking another, closer, look when the man's gaze strayed back to the dhampir. It was a fucking stake. A silver one. Trevor snorted and stalked off, towards Alucard. Like that was going to hurt Alucard. He'd warn him just the same.  
  
"Alucard," he said, just as he reached him. The man stood and the child darted off towards Valeria's house. Trevor took careful note of that before he found Alucard turning towards him. He opened his mouth to tell him about the priest but the dhampir waved a hand.  
  
"I heard him," he said and turned to look towards the priest. Trevor kept his back to the man. "We can speak, but I'm not going to be impressed if he tries anything."  
  
"He has a silver stake, Alucard," Trevor warned, shifting another step closer to grab Alucard's arm before he could move towards the man. "Be careful."  
  
Alucard snorted. "The stake may sting, but the silver won't hurt me--"  
  
"Alucard..."  
  
"I know, I know," the man muttered, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll be careful and stay out of reach."  
  
"Fine," Trevor grunted and turned to follow his dhampir back towards the priest. The man hadn't moved an inch, but he'd been watching them. Trevor took up a post just behind Alucard's left shoulder, arms crossed and expression stern, hoping the priest wouldn't try anything. He didn't want to have to hurt the man.  
  
"Evening," Alucard greeted evenly, stopping well short of the priest. "How can I help you?"  
  
The Priest tensed, eyes darting between them. "You're Doctor Tepes?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I...see..." the man said and then trailed off into silence, studying the pair of them. Trevor knew what he'd be seeing; a too-pretty young doctor and his brutish Belmont bodyguard. He resisted the urge to snort again. "Well... I could use your assistance."  
  
"My assistance?" the dhampir asked, and Trevor raised his eyebrows. Well, that wasn't what he'd been expecting. "And what would you, a man of the cloth, need my assistance for?"  
  
"Father Viktor is ill," the Priest told them and shifted his stance, moving to put all his weight on one foot and then the other. He seemed rather... nervous to be speaking to them. "I have tried everything I can think of that is within the limits of my knowledge and nothing is helping." He glanced down, frowning at the ground between them. "I am afraid that he is...dying...but he's good man! Despite his illusions about medicine and herb lore."  
  
Alucard glanced back at him and they exchanged a loaded look. Trevor shrugged and looked away, but still kept the priest within sight. He just refused to look at the dhampir right now. It was his choice. He could help the very institution that had killed his mother and drove his father mad... or he could refuse. Wasn't Trevor's decision.  
  
For a long moment, Alucard just looked at Trevor, and then at the priest. Trevor thought he wasn't going to help, let alone say anything, but then Alucard sighed and took another step closer. "Here," he said, and pulled a bottle out of his coats’ inner pocket. A very familiar bottle. Trevor found himself wondering just how many the dhampir had in there. Probably quite a few, if he were being honest. "Two sips, three times a day. Until it's empty. It'll help."  
  
The priest hesitated for a moment, before he gingerly took the bottle. "Thank you," he whispered, and then pulled the silver stake out of his pocket. Alucard went very, very still, but the priest just turned towards Trevor. "Belmont."  
  
Trevor perked up, raising an eyebrow at the man. Oh, so he had known who he was all along. Then again, they were hardly keeping that fact a secret. "Yes?"  
  
"Here." He tossed the stake to him and nodded. Trevor caught it automatically, frowning. "I have a feeling you'll be needing that more than I will."  
  
"Thanks," Trevor drawled, confused. Why was the priest giving him the only weapon he seemed to have against the monsters and demons that dwelled somewhere outside of the village? "But won't you need it?" He touched his whip and then the sword. "I already have plenty."  
  
The priest gave him a small, tired smile. "Keep it." Then he turned to Alucard. "Thank you for this. I'll owe you one--"  
  
"How about you get the town surgeon freed and we call it even?" Alucard said, cutting him off. The priest blinked at him for a moment and then slowly stashed the little bottle away in his pocket. "I can make sure he doesn't return."  
  
The other man sighed and Trevor rolled his eyes. Honestly, making deals with priests? Was Alucard stupid? Or suicidal? As if he'd sensed Trevor's thoughts, Alucard turned to give him a narrowed-eyed glare. It was a warning to keep his mouth shut. Trevor lifted one shoulder up in a half-assed shrug. Fine by him, if Alucard wanted to end up on a church's pyre.  
  
"Best we can do is excommunicate him," the man offered with a shrug. Alucard sighed, and the priest continued. "I'll try encourage mercy from Father Viktor. He'll, hopefully, see reason once he's no longer ill. In the meantime, I do have authority here...so I'll...see what I can do."  
  
Alucard inclined his head and turned away, striding back past all the graves. Trevor pause to eye the priest again, gaze narrowed in warning, before he turned to follow after him. He glanced back once in time to see the priest saying his prayers over the first grave before turning away again. It wasn't his business, to be honest, but at least the priest was doing something for the dead, instead of leaving them to rot where they’d died.  
  
Trevor followed Alucard back to Valeria's house and found that the child he'd seen earlier was crouched outside by the door, back to the wall and had what appeared to be a small knife in their hand. Sharp, yet tired, wary eyes watched their approach. Trevor eyed the kid right back. As soon as they reached the door, the kid jumped up and attached themself to Alucard's leg. Trevor looked skyward. Apparently, Alucard was collecting stray orphans.  
  
He paused outside the door, glancing around a little, before he caught Alucard staring at him. Before he could even say a word, the dhampir turned and disappeared into the hut, kid still attached. Trevor moved to lean against the wall, and waited. A few minutes later, the dhampir came back out with Valeria's arm slung over his shoulders and a little shadow following him.  
  
"What the hell, Alucard?" he demanded pushing off the door to catch hold of the woman's other arm. "What are you doing?"  
  
"She can't stay here," the dhampir muttered, glancing towards him over the woman's head. He tilted his chin towards the child. "That boy has been telling me all sorts of interesting things, Trevor. And one of them is that this Father Viktor was looking to have her burned at the stake for being with the town's doctor. We're lucky the priest is sensible enough to know we're not practicing witchcraft or whatever the fuck it is the church keeps trying to pin on us."  
  
Trevor looked away. "Right," he grunted and slung the woman's other arm over his shoulders. She was pretty well rugged up, he noted, and so was the child. "So," he continued in a cheery voice, smirking slightly. "Picking up strays, are you?"  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Belmont," Alucard deadpanned, voice flat and sounding completely serious, but when Trevor actually met his gaze, there was a glimmer of amusement in them. "Now, will you help me get her back to the castle?"

"Of course," Trevor said and they set off on their merry way back to Alucard's stupid castle.


	4. Four

**Chapter Four**  
  
**_Sypha wasn't surprised when Trevor_ **and Alucard returned with company. If anything, Rosa had been a very interesting little girl to talk to, and from what she'd been saying about the church, Sypha really shouldn't have been surprised to find that Alucard would bring not only Rosa's mother back to the castle, but yet another child. Despite Alucard's protests about not interfering or being unable to cope with company, he certainly wasn't opposed to bringing home strays.  
  
She met them in the entranceway, pushing the door closed to keep the growing chill and the snow out. "Really, Alucard?" she asked, moving to relieve the dhampir of his burden. Surprisingly, he let her. "More company?"  
  
"Don't lecture me, Sypha," Alucard muttered, striding ahead of them. His back was stiff, but his expression was wary when he glanced back. "I'm not in the mood."  
  
"He's never in the mood," Trevor muttered from the other side of the woman they were helping.  
  
"I heard that!"  
  
Trevor just grinned at her. "C'mon, let's get Valeria settled with her children."  
  
Together, they got the woman settled and comfortable in the room that Alucard had apparently set aside for her and the children, and then they went to find Alucard. Well, Sypha went to find him. Trevor went to raid the kitchens. Probably for a drink. Gods knew they'd need it for the coming conversation, so Sypha didn't begrudge him this once.  
  
She found Alucard in a study further up the castle. He was standing only a few steps into the room, his back to the door, and seemed to be staring at the chair before him. Sypha frowned, and hesitated in the doorway. She was loath to disturb him, but they needed to discuss a few things. Namely, she thought, hand drifting to her stomach, this... But also Hector and Carmilla. She sighed.  
  
"Alucard?"  
  
The dhampir flinched, and for a moment, it seemed like he wasn't going to move. She recognised the study now that she took another quick glance about the room. It had been his father's, Dracula's, study. When he lived. It was where their confrontation with the insane vampire had begun. There was even still a crack in the far wall.  
  
"Alucard," she repeated, softer now and rested a hand on the door frame. "Won't you come back downstairs? There's a few things we need to discuss..."  
  
"I know you're pregnant," he said, still not turning around, though she did catch the minute shifting of his hair, as if he had started to turn his head towards her but stopped before he'd fully done so. "It's Trevor's, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes," she said softly, not bothering to hide the fact. Of course Alucard would notice. He was dhampir, after all. "But that's not what we need to discuss."  
  
That made him turn to face her, brushing hair out of his face. Sypha could see the dried tear tracks on his face and decided not to comment on it. They stared at each other for a moment before Alucard sighed and took a couple of hesitant steps towards her.  
  
"What is it that we need to discuss, then?"  
  
"Hector," she said, watching his face carefully. It was carefully blank. "Carmilla."  
  
"Oh," he said in a very small, timid voice. "I see." Alucard inclined his head and gestured for her to lead the way. "Let's take this downstairs, shall we?"  
  
Sypha smiled slightly and turned to step down out into the hallway proper. She stopped short as hands slide onto his hips and a nose skimmed up her neck. Alucard was behind her, holding her gently, but firmly. She felt a small thrill at the thought of him holding her.  
  
"Alucard?" she breathed, frozen in place as the dhampir shifted to bury his face in her hair.  
  
"I was wondering why you smelled different," he murmured into her hair, only slightly muffled. He chuckled. "Now I know why." Alucard exhaled against her ear. "It's the child you carry. So sweet--"  
  
Sypha tore herself away from him, turning on him with a raised hand, fire floating between her fingers. "Alucard," Sypha hissed warningly, but the dhampir just held up his hands, eyes downcast. "What the fuck?"  
  
"I am sorry, Sypha," the dhampir muttered, eyes still fixed on the floor. "I don't know what came over me."  
  
For a long, tense moment, she stared at him and he stared at the floor. He seemed almost... _ashamed_ of his actions. He wouldn't even look at her now. Sypha sighed and lowered her hand. If she were to hazard a guess, it would seem that Alucard was struggling with something. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.  
  
"You are forgiven," she said evenly, trying to keep the slight tremor out of her voice. Alucard's hand twitched. "Shall we go downstairs now to find Trevor? There is much to discuss."  
  
Alucard cleared his throat, hand rising to brush his hair out of his face. "You go on ahead," he said, sounding so very tired. Finally, his gaze flickered up. "I will meet you down there."  
  
Sypha nodded. "Don't take too long," she said before turning on her heel and stalking off down the corridor.  
  
Finding her way back downstairs was easier than she'd thought it would be. The path was...vaguely familiar, most likely from when they were here last. She quickly discarded that thought, making her way down yet another flight of stairs. Alucard had seemed lonely and sad before, but now that well seemed to be far deeper than it had been before, and she didn't know how to help the dhampir out of that deep, dark well of despair.  
  
Trevor met her on the last flight of stairs. "How was he?"  
  
Sypha sighed. "Remember how I told you he was like a well?"  
  
"Well, yes, but I don't understand how that relates to--  
  
"The well is deeper and darker than it was before," Sypha told him, cutting him off. Trevor frowned, and then his expression fell in understanding. "He feels...alone, Trevor. Abandoned." She shifted to glance over her shoulder, back up the stairs to where Alucard, presumably, still stood. "He's also still grieving...and I don't know how to help him."  
  
"I don't know either," Trevor admitted, sounding just as worried as she was. "But we'll do it together, like always."  
  
"Yes," she replied, smiling slightly as he took a few more steps up to be level with her and cupped her cheek with one hand. "Together, of course. Like always."  
  
They stood there for a moment, just staring at each other. It was a little awkward, but not in a bad way--or an uncomfortable way. Trevor sighed and offered her his hand. Sypha hesitated for a moment, glancing down up the stairs again, and then she sighed and took his hand, letting him lead her down a couple more steps.  
  
"We need to tell him about Carmilla's fortress," Sypha said, slipping an arm through Trevor's. "And about Hector... and Isaac."  
  
"The dark skinned man we saw from the throne room?" Trevor asked, and Sypha tightened her grip. "The one we assume was one of Dracula's forgemasters?"  
  
"Yes." She leaned into him, suddenly tired. It was very late, after all. "Alucard should be down soon. I don't think he's fed recently."  
  
"Animal blood," he supplied, turning to press a kiss into her hair. "But human? No, not since before we woke him under Gresit, I think."  
  
Sypha leaned more heavily on him. "That's not good, is it?"  
  
"No, probably not," Trevor muttered, shifting her grip on his left arm to the right one and sliding his now free arm around her back. "I suppose we'll need to make sure he doesn't...well...hurt anyone."  
  
"He wouldn't like that, not at all." Sypha exhaled heavily, blinking slowly. "I'm hungry."  
  
Trevor chuckled. "Let's go to the kitchens, then," he said, tightening his hold on her. Sypha chuckled. "Food first, then sleep, sound good?  
  
"It sounds wonderful," Sypha told him, still amused. They fell silent and Trevor steered them towards he kitchen--the one near the room they'd shared before when they'd been resting after killing Alucard's father.  
  
Alucard found them in the kitchen several minutes later. Sypha was happily working her way through a thick soup and a fresh loaf of bread. Apparently, Alucard could cook and cook well. She was only mildly amused and barely glanced towards the dhampir when he entered the room. He seemed hesitant to come too close to where they sat, choosing to linger near the doorway.  
  
"You said we had things to discuss?" he asked, and this time, Sypha looked up.  
  
"Yes," she said and gestured to Trevor. "You tell him. He already knows about me, so just tell him about Carmilla, Hector and Isaac."  
  
Alucard's sharp, golden gaze shot to Trevor. "What about them?"  
  
"We found Carmilla's fortress, Alucard, and we think that she probably has Hector."  
  
That made the dhampir frown. Sypha kept an eye on him as she ate. "How do you know that name? How do you know she has him?"  
  
"We went to Braila," Sypha said, pausing to look up at him. "Spoke to the people there while we tended to the wounded." She glanced towards Trevor. "When we asked about the castle, they told us what happened. And then they said they saw a pale-haired woman--we think a vampire--with a group of soldiers leaving the city."  
  
"She had a grey-haired man in chains behind her," Trevor interrupted, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Said he looked beaten and that she had called him 'Hector' and 'pet'. Was he one of your father's forgemasters?"  
  
Alucard looked very pale all of a sudden, even more so that when they'd first seen him. "Oh, dear," he muttered, moving to abruptly lean back against the wall. "That is definitely Carmilla." He swallowed, eyes downcast again. "If she has Hector, then she can make him forge her a horde as large as...as my father's had been."  
  
"That's bad, isn't it?"  
  
"Very much so," Alucard said, finally raising his gaze from the floor. "We'll need to find them if we can." He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. Sypha took note of how weary he looked. "What of Isaac, the other forgemaster?"  
  
"The one you spoke to us of?" Trevor asked, and Alucard nodded. "We've heard nothing of him. I don't think we've seen him since just before we fought your father."  
  
"He wasn't in the castle," the dhampir muttered, frowning slightly. "I checked." He sighed, sounding extremely weary now. "I wonder what Father did with him..."  
  
"The mirror in your father's study?" Sypha suggested and Alucard shrugged. "Do you think it was just a remote viewing mirror?"  
  
Alucard lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know, but I can check."  
  
"Good idea," Trevor muttered and moved away from Sypha. "Sypha, you should probably go and get some rest if you're done eating."  
  
"Of course," Sypha said, and spooned the last mouthful of soup into her mouth. She stood shortly after, rather stiffly. She groaned, rubbing at her hip. "Try not to kill each other." She smirked and headed for the door, gently placing a hand on Alucard's shoulder as she passed. "Good night."  
  
"Good night," Alucard murmured back, offering her a small smile.  
  
Sypha offered him a tired smile and stepped out into the hall. She heard him speak to Trevor but disregarded it, making her way back towards the room where Rosa and her family slept. Sypha would take the room across the hall from them, so that they would be able to rest without her disturbing them. She could check on them in the morning anyway, if Alucard hadn't already done so. For now, she was very, very tired and the thought of sleeping in a soft, warm bed was wonderful. And, oh, did she need it! The journey from Braila to the Castle had been long and painful for her, already being three months pregnant. She was surprised that Alucard hadn't noticed earlier.


	5. Five

  **Chapter Five**  
  
**_Alucard stood frozen after Sypha_** had left, watching Trevor as the other man stared him down. After a moment, the Belmont turned to the pot over the fire and Alucard watched as Trevor spooned out a bowl of the soup for himself. Or was it for him? Alucard wasn't sure. He stayed put right where he was, leaning back against the wall.  
  
"You said you found Carmilla's fortress?" he asked, watching Trevor closely as possible. The hunter set the bowl down on the table and looked up at him. Alucard found himself unable to look away, gaze fixing on the other man's movements.  
  
"Yes," Trevor said and sat down. They stared at each other for a long moment before Trevor sighed and gestured for Alucard to join him. "Sit down, Alucard."  
  
Alucard hesitated to move away from the wall. "Carmilla's fortress," he prompted, and Trevor looked away. "Where is it? Somehow, I'm not sure if she made it back to Styria."  
  
"She's in Sibiu."  
  
"What?" Alucard hissed, shoving himself off the wall. He was in front of Trevor, slamming his hands down on the table before he'd really thought about it. "Why didn't you say that earlier?"  
  
Trevor just looked up at him, spoon halfway to his mouth. He lowered it slowly. "You seemed a little...preoccupied, Alucard."  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"It wasn't enough, was it?" Belmont asked, pushing his bowl away and giving Alucard a quick up-and-down look. Alucard frowned at him, confusion clouding his mind. What the hell did Trevor mean by that? And then it clicked.  
  
"What?" he got out, voice hoarse.  
  
"The animal blood," Trevor told him, and reached up to grab the front of Alucard's shirt. "It wasn't enough, was it?"  
  
"Don't change the subject, Belmont."  
  
"Belmont again, Alucard?" Trevor asked, raising an eyebrow, and then he smirked. "Don't change the subject, _leech_."  
  
"Sibiu is not far from here," he said, lowering himself down into a chair opposite Trevor. "If I had known..."  
  
"You wouldn't go by yourself, Alucard," the hunter warned, gaze narrowed. "That would be suicide." Trevor pointed a fork at him. Alucard flinched at the man's raised tone. "You had better not be thinking of doing something stupid."  
  
"I'm not," Alucard muttered, and Trevor dropped the fork to grab the dhampir's hand before Alucard could retreated. He glanced up, gaze sharp. The feeling of Trevor's skin against his sent his senses buzzing, and the deer blood he'd consumed was suddenly a heavy lump in his stomach. Alucard swallowed. "Trevor, I need you to let go of me..."  
  
"No."  
  
"Trevor," he hissed, tugging at his wrist. Trevor refused to release him. "Please, let go."  
  
Trevor stared him down, grip tightening minutely. "Alucard."  
  
The way he said his name sent a shiver down his spine and he was forced to close his eyes. Alucard couldn't respond to that, couldn't shake off the way it made him feel. He froze, barely breathing, as a surge of hunger rose up in him, pulsing in time to Trevor's heartbeat in his wrist. He swallowed again, feeling himself relaxing slowly, but still tense, like a coiled tiger about to pounce.  
  
"You need to feed," the human said, and there was another hand on him, fingers trailing over the back of his hand. Every touch sent a sharp spike of want through him. Alucard sucked in a sharp breath, and that was a bad idea--it brought with it the scent of Trevor, of blood and snow and days old ale. "I can tell, Alucard. You're on edge, and it worries me."  
  
"Trevor," he whispered, and felt a tremor in the man's hands on his wrist. "Please."  
  
He didn't even know what he was asking for anymore, just that he wanted Trevor. The hands let go of him and for a moment, Alucard felt bereft, and then he heard the chair scrape back and footsteps, and suddenly Trevor's hands were on his chin, tilting it up. Alucard exhaled carefully, eyes fluttering open just as lips met his. They fell closed again, but not before he caught a glimpse of Trevor leaning over him, eyes closed and eyelashes brushing his cheekbones. Trevor was kissing him.  
  
Alucard kissed him back, parting his lips to let Trevor's probing tongue into his mouth. He felt weak, shaky, and he couldn't get enough of Trevor's lips. He reached out blindly and grabbed for the man, catching hold of Trevor's shirt to tug him closer. Their lips parted briefly and Trevor chuckled into the space between them before pressing forwards again, forcing Alucard to lean back in his seat. And then he was pinned to the back of the chair and there were strong thighs straddling his own, and, and...  
  
He was in _heaven_.  
  
Trevor pulled away abruptly with a sharp hiss, and Alucard's eyes flew open. The enticing scent of the hunter's blood swelled up between them and left Alucard breathless, panting in want and fear. He stared up at Trevor and Trevor stared back. Belatedly, he realised his fangs had lengthened and that they were why the scent of Trevor's blood was so strong. He'd accidentally caught a fang on the man's lip; it was split to one side, right where one of his fangs had probably brushed against it.  
  
"You're bleeding," Alucard whispered, gaze darting to Trevor's split lip and the blood that was sluggishly beading up and then trickling down his chin. He snapped his gaze back to Trevor's eyes when the man slide one hand into his hair and tugged sharply.  
  
"Focus, Alucard," Trevor said, breathing hard. Then he grinned widely. "Sypha is gonna be so pissed that I got to you first."  
  
Alucard blinked. "What?" he asked, still somewhat breathless. He groaned when Trevor settled more heavily against him, and his eyes widened when he felt just how hot and hard Trevor was against his own erection. "Oh--"  
  
The hunter chuckled, and Alucard went very still. "Your eyes have gone red."  
  
"Shit," Alucard hissed, and tried to shove Trevor off, but the man refused to budge. He just slid his hands down to Alucard's shoulders and rested them there. "Trevor, get off--"  
  
"No."  
  
He groaned, letting his head thump against the high back of the chair behind him. "Trevor."  
  
"Now that I have your attention," the man said, leaning back in his lap--and oh, didn't that press them against each other in all the right places?--with a sigh. "You are to go nowhere without one of us with you. Mainly me, because, as you probably know, Sypha's in no condition to be trekking halfway across the country." Alucard huffed out a little laugh and threw an arm over his face. "What are you going to do once you find Hector and Carmilla?"  
  
"I don't know," Alucard said, still hyper aware of every minute trace of where they were touching. He tried to calm himself down, tried to ignore the slowing thump-thump-thump of Trevor's racing heart. "Carmilla needs to be dealt with, that's for sure...but from what I remember of Hector... He's soft-hearted and very loyal to my father. He wouldn't be making demons for her if he had a choice."  
  
"You think she's forcing him to do it?"  
  
Alucard nodded. "Most likely, considering what you said in regards to what the people of Braila saw."  
  
"A man in chains," Trevor muttered and exhaled heavily. "That would make sense if it were Hector, because he's human."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Trevor fell silent at that and Alucard relaxed minutely. He listened to Trevor's breathing as it calmed, as well as his heart, and waited until Trevor's erection had wilted somewhat. He wasn't too sure if his own was going to wilt anytime soon. Not with the scent of Trevor's blood still lingering in his nose and the taste of him on his tongue.  
  
After a moment, Trevor cleared his throat and slid off his lap, leaving Alucard an emotional, sweaty mess on the chair. He felt unsteady, slightly out of control and had to wrestle with his vampiric side for a long, tense minute before he felt ready to uncover his eyes. He found Trevor leaning back against the table, eyes on his face.  
  
"Feel better?" he asked, and Alucard nodded slowly.  
  
"Yes, a little, thank you."  
  
Trevor's gaze narrowed. "You still need to feed, Alucard."  
  
He waved him off. "Later," he muttered, glancing towards the window before looking away. His gaze shot back to it and he stumbled to his feet. "Shit! I have to go!"  
  
"What?" Trevor seemed confused, so he spared him a worried glance. "What the hell doesn't that mean?"  
  
"I got a message from the priest while I was alone," he told him, frantic now "He said the church planned to burn Mircea at the stake at dawn, and that if I wanted him safe, then I needed to rescue him tonight."  
  
"Wait, what--"  
  
Alucard shoved the chair back, not caring as it tumbled to the floor. "I was supposed to be there an hour ago!"  
  
"When did this happen?" Trevor called after him as Alucard disappeared into the hall. He didn't bother responding to that, too busy racing to grab his sword and coat. He could explain it all to Trevor later. Right now, he had a fellow dhampir to rescue. How else was he supposed to learn more about himself? And when would he ever have this kind of chance to learn more about dhampirs in general? Alucard couldn't pass this opportunity up.  
  
Mircea wasn't hard to find, and he apparently only just made it in time. The Priest--Stefan--had given him good information. The other dhampir hadn't been moved yet; he was still in his cell. Beaten and bloody, granted, but otherwise still there. Alucard had to break the iron lock with brute force to get into the cell. He would've thought the noise would wake the other dhampir but apparently he was unconscious. The church had chained him to the wall with thick silver manacles. He couldn't help taking note of the other man's injuries; several stab wounds, a burn across his cheek in what appeared to be the shape of a cross--probably thanks to a heated brand rather than the cross itself--and what appeared to be several broken bones.  
  
"Shit," Alucard muttered, easily breaking the chains holding Mircea to the wall. He eased the man down onto his knees and tilted his head up. The other dhampir's hair was pitch black, and there was a slight tilt to his eyes that hinted at Eastern origins, leaving Alucard to wonder whose child he was. It didn't matter at the moment, though, because after he got Mircea out of there, the other dhampir would wake up and then he would need to feed.  
  
He spent a moment painstakingly picking the locks of each manacle, carefully pealing them away from the other dhampir's blistering skin. Alucard winced, finally getting the last one--the one around Mircea's neck--off and tossing it aside. Mircea let out a little whimper as the heavy metal hit the wall with a clang and clattered to the floor. Alucard shushed him, glancing over his shoulder. The cell was one of several in an old, repurposed stables, and Alucard wasn't sure where the guards where. He hadn't seen any on his way in, and he had a sinking feeling in his gut at the fact that there weren't any guards outside Mircea's cell. He shook off the feeling and swung the other man up into his arms before he stalked out into the gardens behind the village's church.  
  
The church was dark and silent, and Alucard was happy for that fact. The small mansion beside it, though, was another matter entirely. He glanced up and found Stefan, the priest, standing on the balcony in the dark. The man inclined his head and Alucard nodded back. It would seem that at least once person believed in what the church was supposed to stand for. Alucard was grateful for that.  
  
Stefan didn't even try to stop him, nor did he alert the guards. He just watched as Alucard took a couple of steps back and turned towards the high garden walls. Alucard adjusted his grip on the other dhampir, making sure he had a good grip before he took two running steps towards the wall and jumped. He landed lightly on top of the wall and glanced back. Stefan was gone. With a small grin, Alucard dropped lightly to the ground on the other side of the wall. It was going to be a bit of a hike back to the castle, especially with the extra weight, but he knew he could handle it. Alucard set off into the dark and the snow with his burden. Hopefully, he would make it back before the sun rose.


	6. Six

**Chapter Six**  
  
**_"Another stray?" Sypha said as Alucard_ **stepped out of the room, startling him. He forced the flinch down and glanced towards her, and then to Trevor, who was leaning against the wall opposite him. "What is with you and collecting strays?"  
  
"He is not a stray," Alucard snapped, glaring at her. He had, indeed, made it back before sunrise. Barely. And now Mircea was ensconced in one of the guest bedrooms down the hall from the one Sypha and Trevor shared. "He is also dhampir, and considering I don't know much about my kind." Here, he leveled her with a narrow-eyed scowl. "I thought it prudent to rescue him."  
  
Sypha sighed and waved a hand. "Yes, yes," she snapped back, moving into his personal space. "Trevor told me all about the dhampir who is Tomas's father."  
  
"How is he?" Trevor said, cutting in swiftly. Sypha turned on him with a glare. Alucard leaned back against the door. "I saw him when you brought him in. He looked pretty beat up."  
  
Alucard sighed. "He will heal...eventually."  
  
"Once he feeds," the hunter muttered and shoved off the wall. "And where, pray tell, are you going to get the blood from?"  
  
He should have known Trevor would bring it up. Alucard caught the man's wrist and swiftly tugged his hunter towards him. "I'll feed him myself," he said, and raised an eyebrow at the expression on Trevor's face. Oh, Belmont really didn't like that idea. "But I'll need to feed first, and animal blood just won't do, will it?"  
  
Trevor snorted. "Are you propositioning me, vampire?"  
  
Alucard chuckled. "Would it be so wrong if I was, Hunter?"  
  
Belmont’s lips twitched up, and Alucard felt his own twitching in reply--and then Sypha cleared her throat. "If you two are done flirting," she said, and promptly insinuated herself between them. "What about after you feed him?"  
  
"My father has stores of blood somewhere in the castle dungeons," he told her, smiling. "I'm sure we can make do with that once Mircea is healed."  
  
"Then we have a plan," Sypha told him, smiling wildly. He held onto her tightly for a moment before he let Trevor gently tug her away. "I'll keep the children, Valeria and myself safe until you're both feeling better."  
  
"Oh?" he prompted, curious now. Sypha just gave him a sly smile. "Sypha..."  
  
"I have my ways," she announced and then span out of Trevor's hold. "I have learned new magic, some Enochian wards that will keep you two dhampirs out. I modified them so that they'll only allow those who don't wish me harm in."  
  
"Impressive," Alucard said and she dipped into a little bow. "Make them extra strong, then."  
  
"I will." She turned to head off back down the hall. "And besides, you have a Belmont to keep watch."  
  
"That I do," he muttered, gaze straying to the Belmont in question. Trevor offered him a sly smile, and Alucard couldn't help smiling back, a small bubble of anticipation warming his chest. "That I do."  
  
Trevor waited until Sypha was well out of hearing range before he stepped in close to crowd Alucard in against the door. "So," he said, touching the dhampir's chin gently. "Let's do this, shall we?"  
  
Alucard shook his head. "I need to hunt first," he muttered, placing a hand on Trevor's chest and pushing firmly. "I'll need you...after."  
  
"I see," the hunter said lowly, fingers sliding over Alucard's cheek. "I'll let you do that, then." He stepped back, hand dropping to his side. "Bring the carcass back with you. It'll make a nice stew."  
  
That made Alucard chuckle. "I'll be sure to do that."  
  
With that decided, Alucard left the castle and headed out into the surrounding forest. He'd leave Trevor to watch the unconscious dhampir while he hunted. Alucard was fairly sure that he would need more than one deer if he was truly going to help Mircea. He'd actually probably need two or three. Regardless, the first part of the plan was to find the deer and feed from them. Then he could haul them back to the castle, and then he could wash and tend to Mircea. He still wasn't sure if it would work, but he supposed it was better than letting the man have at any of the humans in the castle.  
  
He shifted into his wolf form after he crossed the creek, and set his nose to the ground. Alucard knew there were a herd of deer nearby; he'd found them last time after all. A soft sound drew his head up slightly, and the scent of deer--something musky and slightly sweet--drifting towards him on the light breeze. Alucard turned towards it, lifted his head once and inhaled to make sure he had their scent. There was, indeed, a herd nearby. Now he just had to hunt them.  
  
The rustle of a bush caught his attention, a little ways off from him. Alucard sank down into the wolf and took off, darting between trees and jumping over logs and across small ravines. Wind rushed past him, ruffling his fur, and the scent of deer grew stronger. He could feel the ground give beneath his paws, could feel how a tree or a rock would shift beneath him with the force of his movements. He flew through the trees, rounded a large rock and there they were. Three deer, startled by his arrival. He was on them before they could do more than voice their alarm, red clouding his vision.  
  
When the redness cleared, he had three drained deer corpses before him. He knelt there for a moment, breathing heavily before he climbed to his feet. Alucard wiped the back of his hand over his mouth before he hauled all three carcasses onto his shoulders. He turned and headed back to the castle at vampiric speeds.  
  
Trevor met him in the kitchen. Alucard set the three deer down on the table and turned away from him abruptly. He felt slightly ashamed at his obvious vampiric needs, but Trevor seemed to have other ideas.  
  
"Three, Alucard?" the man asked, and when Alucard turned back, he was raising his eyebrows at him. Alucard felt himself blush. "Really?"  
  
"I needed more than one," he muttered in response, not quite meeting Trevor's gaze. "At least you'll have plenty of food for everyone."  
  
"True," Trevor said with a laugh, and moved closer to him. Alucard glanced up when he felt fingers on his chin. "Feel a little better?"  
  
"Not really." He cleared his throat and let Trevor stroke his fingers over one sticky cheek. "I need to clean up before I see to Mircea."  
  
"You do that." Trevor drew his hand back and gave him a little nudge towards the door. "I'll deal with these and then met you up there."  
  
"Thank you, Trevor," he whispered, peering up at the man from beneath his lashes. Trevor seemed transfixed for a moment before he jerked his head sharply to the side and sucked in a handful of desperate breaths. Alucard smiled at him.  
  
"You're welcome, leech, now go clean up before you get any more blood on the floor."  
  
Alucard blinked, glancing down at his clothes. Oh, wow, yes, he was a real mess, wasn't he? He sighed and looked up at the older man. "You going to make me, hunter?"  
  
Trevor smirked. "Less flirting, more bathing, vampire."  
  
Chuckling, Alucard headed out into the hall and back upstairs. The baths were on the fourth floor, so that was where he would head. He sighed, looking down at his clothes again and plucking at his shirt. He was well and truly a mess. With a sharp shake of his head, Alucard entered the bathing room. He ran himself a bath, twisting the taps carefully until the temperature was just right, and then placed the stopper into the drain. Alucard straightened up and quickly stripped off, tossing the bloodied and torn clothing into a heap as far away from the bath as possible. He didn't want to look at it for any longer than necessary.  
  
He'd just turned the taps off and sank down into the bath with a groan when Trevor entered the room. Alucard froze, hands gripping the sides of the copper tub tightly. "Trevor," he said, trying not to appear too startled. "What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm done," the hunter said, stopping short of the tub. "The deer are hanging up in the smoking room I found." Trevor stared down at him, gaze roving over his bare chest. Alucard felt nervous all of a sudden, and was glad that his lower body was already underwater. "You need to wash your hair."  
  
Alucard chuckled, slipping down lower in the tub. "I know," he drawled, tilting his head back against the rim of the bath. He peered up at Trevor from half-lidded eyes. "Like what you see?"  
  
Trevor smirked. "Very much so."  
  
"Mmmh," he hummed, closing his eyes. He really shouldn't have been enjoying the bath as much as he was. "How is our guest doing?"  
  
"The other dhampir?" Trevor asked and he nodded. "He's awake, so there's that at least. Although, he was wondering why I hadn't killed him yet."  
  
"Oh?" Alucard opened an eye and caught a glimpse of Trevor's amused expression, right before the man knelt down beside the tub. "Is that so?"  
  
"I decided not to say anything," his hunter said, leaning towards him. Alucard shifted his left arm off the tub so Trevor could lean on it. "I think he's met Belmonts before, so I wouldn't blame him for being wary."  
  
"Does he know where he is?" Alucard asked, opening the other eye and twisting to face Trevor fully. "Does he know whose castle he's in?"  
  
Trevor shook his head. "I don't know. He refused to say more than a couple of words."  
  
"And what words were those?"  
  
"Oh, the usual... 'Fuck you, Belmont', if I remember correctly." Trevor seemed highly amused by the insult. "I think I'd prefer to hear that coming from you, to be honest."  
  
Alucard snorted. "You seem to be amused by that."  
  
"No shit," the hunter muttered, shifting to trail his fingers through the water over Alucard's stomach. "So, he's awake. Don't take too long in the tub."  
  
"Trevor," Alucard warned, but the man was already standing up and heading for the door. He gave him a little wave right before the door shut behind him. Alucard sagged against the edge of the tub. Honestly, what was he supposed to do with the man? Trevor was a pain in the ass, but he was Alucard's pain in the ass. Snorting, Alucard ducked beneath the surface of the bath and began the painstaking progress of teasing the blood out of his hair. He had a fellow dhampir to heal.


	7. Seven

**Chapter Seven**  
  
**_The new dhampir was sitting_** up now, but only barely. Trevor just crossed his arms and leant back against the wall by the door. He hoped Alucard hurried his ass up and didn't take too long in his bath, because the dark haired man partially propped up on the bed across from was looking increasingly more annoyed with every passing moment.  
  
"Gloating, are you?" the man grunted, holding an arm tightly to his side and chest. Trevor was willing to bet it was broken and the dhampir didn't want him to know about it. Not that it mattered, because Trevor could see the how one side of his rib cage seemed to be indented. It couldn't be comfortable, and it was clearly making the dhampir's breathing shallow and uneven. "Just kill me, Belmont."  
  
Trevor snorted. "I'm afraid there won't be any killing today, leech."  
  
The dhampir flinched back from him, cringing into the pillows behind him. Alucard had made sure the man would be at least somewhat comfortable while he was healing. But he wasn't healing, and that wasn't a good thing. Trevor usually killed monsters, but this man wasn't a monster. He was just a scared dhampir who probably didn't quite know what he was. He also definitely needed blood, especially if the way he was eyeing off Trevor's throat was any indication. Trevor dropped a hand down to casually rest on his whip. The dhampir's face screwed up in disgust.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Before Trevor could even try to answer that question, the door opened and Alucard slipped into the room. He cast Trevor a warning glance before his gaze unerringly went to the other dhampir. Trevor held up his hands, making sure they could both see that he wasn't holding any weapons. Not that Alucard needed reassurance. No, they were more worried about the other dhampir in the room.  
  
Alucard closed the door softly behind him and then took two careful, deliberate steps into the room. Mircea, as Alucard had called him, was instantly focused on him. "Do you know who I am?"  
  
"You're... Alucard?" the dark-haired dhampir hedged, and Alucard nodded. The man pressed his lips into a thin line, glancing between the two of them. "Why?"  
  
Trevor snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow at the man. Mircea shot him a glare. "Because the church was gonna burn your ass and Alucard hasn't met another dhampir before."  
  
"Trevor," Alucard said with a long suffering sigh. He cast him an unreadable look over his shoulder. "Do shut up."  
  
"Yes, sir," Trevor said with a shit-eating grin. Alucard shook his head at him, and focused back on Mircea. Trevor relaxed against the wall, content to just watch the scene before him play out. He'd stop interrupting them now.  
  
"Thank you." Alucard took another step forward, towards the bed. Mircea cringed back into it again, turning his face away. It left the shiny burn on his face on full display. Trevor was willing to bet that Alucard was frowning. Apparently the church had really done a number on the poor man. "Mircea, right?"  
  
"Yes," the other man grunted, still keeping his face pressed into the pillows. "What do you want?"  
  
"I want to help you."  
  
That made the other dhampir raise his head, just enough to peer up at them through a curtain of tangled, dark hair. "Why?"  
  
"Because you're injured," Alucard told him, taking another, slower, step forwards, "and you're also dhampir, and potentially older than I am." He stopped short, head tilted to the side. "I want to learn more about us."  
  
"Us?" Mircea growled, abruptly sitting up. He hissed, sucking in a sharp breath. "There is no us!"  
  
"Valeria's here," Trevor cut in, pushing off the wall. Mircea’s gaze snapped to him, amber eyes bleeding into bright red. He really didn't mean to come off as intimidating, but sometimes Trevor just couldn't help it. "Tomas, too. They're sick." He tilted his head towards Alucard. "My friend here is helping."  
  
At the mention of the word 'friend', Mircea sank back down onto the bed and blinked. He seemed confused by Trevor's choice of words. "Friend?"  
  
"Yes," Alucard confirmed, moving towards the bed without restraint now. "We're friends. He won't hurt you unless you try to hurt us."  
  
"Why would a dhampir and a Belmont be friends?" Mircea demanded, sounding strained now. Trevor and Alucard exchanged a loaded look. Alucard sighed.  
  
"If you know who I am," the blonde dhampir said, and that made Mircea’s gaze narrow. "Then you should know whose castle you're in."  
  
Mircea's gaze darted about the room, taking it in again. He was slower about it this time, and Trevor couldn't help tensing as he made note of every single thing in the room that could be turned into a make-shift weapon. He couldn't be sure if the other dhampir had the same thoughts, but he'd be prepared nonetheless. He'd do anything for Alucard--and wasn't that a startling thought. Trevor forced the thought down and firmed his stance, keeping his face devoid of any other emotion except amusement.  
  
"Dracula's castle?" the dark-haired dhampir hedged and Alucard gave him a shaky bob of his head. Mircea sat up slowly, grimacing, before fixing a confused look on first Alucard then Trevor. "Why am I in Dracula's castle?"  
  
Trevor sighed. "We're just going round in circles here now," he said, mostly directed at Alucard. Mircea glared at him. "D'you think he got hit in the head one too many times?"  
  
"Trevor--"  
  
"Or maybe it was more than once?" Trevor mused thoughtfully, tapping a finger against his lips. He caught Alucard watching him from the corner of his eye and sighed. "Alucard, maybe you should just get on with it."  
  
"Stop intimidating the man, Trevor."  
  
"Dhampir."  
  
"Oh, shut up," Alucard muttered, taking a seat on the bed and rolling his left sleeve up. Trevor noticed that he had the other dhampir's full attention now. He watched as Alucard let one sharp nail lengthen into a talon and pressed it into his wrist. Mircea went deathly still as soon as that talon pierced Alucard's skin. Trevor watched as his dhampir let the talon fade back into a nail and offered Mircea his wrist. "Here, Mircea. Drink, heal. Then we can talk."  
  
Mircea's red gaze flickered to him. "And the Belmont?"  
  
Trevor could hear the vicious smile in Alucard's voice; "Oh, he's here to make sure you don't kill me."  
  
"Hence the consecrated whip," Trevor offered, patting it fondly. "Now, get on with it."  
  
That seemed to be all the encouragement Mircea needed. He sat up a little more and jerked on his most definitely broken arm--clearly to set it, from what Trevor could remember of his father once treating one of his cousins--with a pained hiss. There wasn't much he could do about his ribs, though. They were literally indented, so unless he was willing to get elbow deep in his own rib cage, Trevor wasn't sure how that particular problem was going to fix itself. He didn't need to wonder, though, as Mircea seemed to know that straightening the arm was the best he could do on short notice.  
  
"Ready?" the dark-haired dhampir asked, but half his attention was on Trevor, not Alucard. He seemed hesitant to even make a move yet. "I'll try not to let it hurt, but I can't make any promises."  
  
"Just do it," Alucard grunted, and shifted to lean back against the head of the bed. His gaze was on Trevor, though. Trevor gazed back, even as Mircea gingerly took Alucard's wrist with his good hand and brought it towards his lips. "I don't care if it hurts."  
  
Mircea hummed, and then he leaned over Alucard's wrist, bringing his lips down to the bleeding cut. Trevor watched with a sense of morbid fascination as Mircea licked at the wound for a moment before pulling back. And then his lips writhed back in a snarl. Trevor could see his fangs, long--but not as long as Dracula's had been, nor as long as Alucard's could get--and, apparently, sharp. They sank into Alucard's wrist like a knife into butter.  
  
Alucard's lips compressed into a thin, white line, but he didn't seem to be in too much pain. Trevor drifted a few steps closer, keeping half an eye on Mircea as the other dhampir closed his lips over the puncture marks. He found himself transfixed, drifting even closer. Abruptly, a low growl rumbled up and out of Mircea, slightly muffled. Trevor stopped short, especially when Alucard held up his free hand. They stared at each other for a moment before Alucard's eyes fluttered shut and he let out a pleased little sigh. The sound went straight to Trevor's gut, and he swallowed. Something about the sight of them together, of the look on Alucard's face, sent heat pooling low in his stomach.  
  
"Jesus," he breathed and tightened his grip on the whip. Alucard looked like he'd found heaven and wasn't sure if he wanted to stay there or not. He could see how the blonde dhampir's breathing sped up, how he clutched at the edge of the bed with talons instead of fingernails. Trevor really shouldn't have liked the sight of that so much. "Shit..."  
  
"S-stop," his dhampir said, tilting his head back against the bedhead, his breathing turned irregular now. "Mircea, that's enough. Stop."  
  
But Mircea wasn't stopping. That was probably not a good sign. Trevor stalked over to the bed, got on behind the other dhampir and slipped his whip beneath Alucard's arm, carefully wrapping it around the other dhampir's neck. Then he jerked back, forcing Mircea to let go. Skin sizzled as the consecrated leather made contact with Mircea's unprotected neck. At the same time, Alucard gasped when Mircea's mouth--and his fangs--left his wrist. Trevor didn't bother looking, not just yet.  
  
"He said stop," he hissed, pulling tighter. Mircea whimpered, tilting his head back to rest on Trevor's shoulder. He was breathing heavily, gasping like he'd just been running day and night for a week. Trevor waited a moment, listening to the other man's breathing as it evened out. He hesitated, gaze darting to Alucard. The dhampir had produced a bandage from somewhere in his coat and was pressing it against his wrist, face turned away. "You good now?"  
  
Mircea gave him the tiniest of nods. "Yes."  
  
"Better be," he grunted and gently removed the whip. He shifted off the bed before Mircea could change his mind and attack him, retreating to his post by the door. "Alucard?"  
  
"I'm fine," Alucard said, still not moving from where he sat. Trevor frowned, and then his gaze narrowed as he studied the younger man. Alucard's cheeks were flushed--and wasn't that an interesting development?--and he seemed to be put more off-balance than he usually was. Alucard cleared his throat. "Are you willing to listen now?"  
  
"Yes," Mircea whispered, shifting to lean back against the headboard. "Yes, I am."


	8. Eight

**Chapter Eight**

**** **_Alucard stumbled as they left_ ** the room, and luckily Trevor was there to catch him. He leaned on the hunter, sucking in a couple of deep breaths. His wrist throbbed, not just with pain but also with pleasure. He tried not to think about that too hard, nor to let on that he'd been affected by the bite so much. Instead, he just leaned into Trevor with a tiny sigh.

"You alright there?" the hunter asked, curling an arm around him.  
  
"Mmh," he hummed, and closed his eyes for a moment. "I don't think I want to do that again so soon."  
  
Trevor chuckled, pressing his face down into Alucard's hair. "I don't blame you," he muttered, grip tightening on Alucard's shoulder. "You looked like you enjoyed it a little too much."  
  
"Fuck you," Alucard told him, the insult only half-hearted at best. He lifted his head to turn a weak glare on the other man. His hunter looked amused.  
  
"Maybe later," Trevor told him, and Alucard felt himself flush all the way to his toes. He couldn't be sure if Trevor noticed it or not, but the flush left him short of breath and with warm pooling low in his gut. He quickly glanced away, but Trevor had, apparently, already seen his face. The hunter chuckled, and the sound went straight to stirring groin. "When you're not about to fall flat on your face, of course."  
  
"Trevor," he snapped, confused. Trevor just pulled him in tighter against his side.  
  
"Where to?" the hunter asked a few moments later, and Alucard blinked. He hadn't realised they'd neared the kitchen yet. "Alucard, c'mon, don't pass out on me yet."  
  
"I'm not passing out," Alucard muttered, resting his head on Trevor's shoulder. "Next door on the left... I can...smell you and Sypha..."  
  
"That's totally not creepy," Trevor muttered, but he steered them towards the door in question regardless. Alucard closed his eyes and sighed, clutching at the back of Trevor's tunic, the other grasping the front. Trevor adjusted his grip on him, and Alucard cracked his eyes open. Before the man could reach for the door, it flew open to reveal Sypha standing in the doorway. She took one look at both of them and stepped aside.  
  
"What happened?" she asked, and Alucard took the moment to take her in. Her hair was longer, and she wore only a pale blue shift. He could see the slight swell of her belly beneath it and averted his gaze. "Why does he look so pale?" She followed them as Trevor hauled him over to the bed and sat him down on the edge, gently disengaging Alucard's hands from his shirt. That gave her a good look at his still sluggishly bleeding wrist. "He's bleeding!"  
  
"Yes," Alucard said, rolling his eyes. "How astute of you."  
  
"Alucard!" Sypha hissed, and then rounded on Trevor. "Why is he bleeding?"  
  
"He healed Mircea."  
  
She seemed surprised by that. "He did?"  
  
"Yes." Trevor didn't seem inclined to expand on that, focusing on him instead. Alucard felt sweaty and lightheaded now. That was... probably not a good combination. He grabbed at Trevor's wrist, missing once before he actually got hold of it.  
  
"Trevor, I'll be fine--"  
  
Sypha spoke over him, obviously having come to a conclusion as to how he'd healed Mircea. She loomed over both of them as Trevor knelt to grip one of his boots. "By letting him feed on you?"  
  
Alucard glanced towards her. "Did you want him to bite you?" he asked, trying to convey how important it was that she understood his decision. "Or Trevor? Or the children?"  
  
"Or Valeria?" Trevor added, tugging his boot off and dropping it to the floor. He went to grab Alucard's other booted foot. "Who is sick, as you well know."  
  
"Oh," Sypha said, her voice small in the room. Trevor tugged his other boot off and dropped it to the floor. She moved to the other side of the bed as Trevor stood up and joined him on the bed. Alucard let Trevor guide him down onto the bed and a sigh. "So, what will you do now?"  
  
"First, he needs to feed," the hunter muttered, leaning over him. Alucard stared up at him, a thread of anticipation and dread weaving through him. He couldn't do that. He couldn't ask Trevor to give him his blood. "Don't give me that look, Alucard."  
  
"Trevor, please..."  
  
Trevor snorted. "I'm not taking no for an answer, Alucard. Besides, I do...kind of...want this."  
  
Alucard let his eyes fluttered closed. He was so close--so, so close--and Alucard could smell his blood, the sweat pooling in the dip between neck and shoulder, and the slight musk that was all Trevor. He swallowed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed and very hungry. So very hungry. "Trevor," he whispered, and then there were hands on his back, smaller, more delicate. Sypha. He whimpered. "Sypha--"  
  
"Relax," she whispered, directly into his ear. "We're here. We'll take care of you."  
  
"You already have." Alucard let himself relax into the bed, all his muscles going lax at once. He exhaled slowly, a little breathily. "You spoil me..."  
  
"You deserve it," Sypha told him and then there were lips pressed against his check, the corner of his mouth. "You definitely deserve it."  
  
When she kissed him, it was different to Trevor. Where Trevor was all contained muscle and forceful with his kissing, Sypha was sweet and gentle. She coaxed him into parting his lips, teasing him briefly with her tongue before withdrawing it. He chase after her, delighting in the little moan she gave him when his tongue breached her lips. She pressed closer and Alucard reached for her blindly, catching hold of her hair, fingers sinking in the red-gold strands at the back of her head. The contact made him dizzy, and...and the sounds Sypha was making. It was making him weak all over.  
  
Sypha pulled away abruptly, chuckling when he tried to follow. "Trevor," she said, and suddenly Trevor was kissing him again, just as demanding as before, claiming him like he'd just been claiming Sypha. "Brilliant.... this is perfect."  
  
Trevor pulled back far too soon, making Alucard whine and open his eyes. "Why did you stop?" he asked, confused. Trevor offered him a small smirk. "Trevor? Sypha?"  
  
"Because you were getting distracted," the hunter offered and then he was straddling Alucard again, just like in the kitchen. "And I need you-- _we_ need you--to focus."  
  
Alucard groaned. "You're tormenting me."  
  
"You didn't see your eyes last time."  
  
"I was hungry last time!" he hissed, trying to push up onto his elbows, but Trevor and Sypha just pushed him back down. Gently, of course, but still. "Trevor, please..."  
  
Trevor's gaze darkened. "I like it when you beg."  
  
Alucard whimpered again, and later he would deny ever doing so, but right now, with the two people he loved the most leaning over him, holding him, loving him back? He wasn't going to deny anything, wasn't going to deny  _them_ anything, ever. "Please, Trevor...let me bite you."  
  
The hunter groaned. "Yes, please, yes."  
  
Without waiting for anything more, Alucard reached up and grabbed hold of the front of Trevor's shirt, yanking him down towards him. Trevor went with the motion, letting himself be manhandled into position. Something told Alucard that he hunter liked that fact. Especially liked it, judging by the little whimper that escaped Trevor's lips.  
  
"Alucard--"  
  
"Shh," he whispered, bringing them closer together and shifting to brush his nose against Trevor's neck. Now that he wasn't fighting it, he could feel his hunger growing, bubbling up from deep in his gut to settle in his chest, his throat, nearly choking on it. "Shh, Trevor..."  
  
"Alucard," Trevor whispered back, slightly breathless. Alucard chuckled against the hunter's neck, shifting until he was breathing against Trevor's ear. "Alucard..."  
  
"Trevor--"  
  
Trevor abruptly pushed him back, then sat up and pulled his tunic up and over his head. Alucard couldn't stop looking, gaze roving over Trevor's scarred chest. He counted the scars before he got distracted by Trevor tossing his shirt aside, by the ripple of muscle beneath tanned flesh. He sucked in a sharp breath, biting his lip to keep from whimpering again. Especially when Trevor shifted just slightly and pressed his ass against Alucard's throbbing erection.  
  
"Oh, hello," the hunter murmured, eyes half-closed. "I think someone is liking the attention."  
  
"Trevor," Alucard gasped, hands on his hunter's hips. He dug his nails in--not-quite talons, but close enough--and Trevor shuddered, breath escaping him in a little gasp of pleasure. He was disgustingly, immensely pleased, more-so than he probably should be. "Come back down here..."  
  
Trevor came willingly, nuzzling into his shoulder, his neck, and then kissing his cheek, his forehead--and finally, his lips. Alucard closed his eyes with a small, content sigh. He let Trevor kiss him, lips insistent against his own, lips parting when Trevor slid a tongue across his bottom lip. Trevor took full advantage of that, pressing his tongue inside and then sliding it across one of Alucard's elongated fangs. He shuddered as the hint of blood hit his tongue, his senses, and whimpered again. He'd never felt like this before, and to feel so loved at the same time?  
  
Alucard _never_ wanted this to end.  
  
"Trevor," he gasped into the other man's mouth, and was rewarded with a deep, rumbling groan. "Trevor...please..."  
  
"Anything," Trevor told him, breathless and full of want. "Anything, Alucard...just tell me...what you want."  
  
"C'mere," he whispered, sliding his hands up Trevor's sides, along his back, his shoulders. Trevor come back down willingly, almost as if he were in a trance--and Alucard had to check to make sure he wasn't accidentally enthralling anyone. He was glad to find that he was not accidentally enthralling anyone. That particular ability seemed to be far out of reach for now.  
  
"Stop teasing each other," Sypha said suddenly, distracting him. He turned his head towards her, eyes slit to take in her expression. She looked flushed and annoyed. Alucard had almost forgotten that she was there. "And get on with it, damn you."  
  
Alucard chuckled. "Are we not performing to your stands, Sypha?"  
  
She pouted, and that made him chuckle a little harder, jostling Trevor where he rested against his chest. The hunter sighed into Alucard's neck and then muttered, "Sypha, will you shut up? Trying to live out a wet dream here."  
  
She giggled and leaned back against the headboard. "Oh, sorry. By all means, continue."  
  
Trevor groaned into his neck. "Please, Alucard, please just fucking bite me already."  
  
Alucard chuckled and turned his head back towards the hunter. "I like it when you beg," he whispered into Trevor's ear, and the hunter shuddered, gasping. He grinned against Trevor’s ear, making sure the man felt a hint of fangs. "Do it again."  
  
"Don't... throw... my words back... at me," the hunter groaned, tilting his head to allow Alucard access to his neck. "It's unbecoming.... now please just fucking bite me!"  
  
That was all the permission that Alucard needed. He slid his nose down to Trevor's throat, to the juncture between neck and shoulder. Trevor was panting now, breath hot against Alucard's shoulder. He pressed chaste kisses to Trevor's throat for a moment, shuddering at the feel of the man above him, at his warmth, at the strong scent of lust and blood. It sent a strong pang of longing through him, of want, and Alucard could no longer resist. He opened his mouth and sank his fangs into Trevor's throat. The hunter moaned, long and loud--and vaguely, Alucard hoped that their guests hadn't heard it, but then the taste of Trevor distracted him, sweat and blood and lust. Alucard groaned, pressing closer to his hunter, pressing deeper.  
  
The moment that Belmont blood hit his tongue, the moment it slid down his throat, Alucard was lost. Trevor Belmont tasted like heaven, like home, and Alucard hoped he'd never leave again. Him and Sypha. He could feel Trevor's love for him, for them both, in his blood, and it made his eyes tear up. How could he deserve such love, after everything? After killing his own father to stop the genocide of humankind? He would gladly let Trevor and Sypha remind him of his worth whenever they wanted to. Especially if it would give him this.


End file.
